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Well, here’s the thing… There’s been a lot of talk online about blogs that only publish positive reviews and their validity and I have decided to weight in on that a little bit and do something I have been planning on doing for a while.

I read what i love! I usually keep myself in the genres I know I love and don’t adventure myself out of it that often. Even when I do, I try to keep it safe and check other blogs and reviews on goodreads before I foray in unknown territories.

However, there are time when a book doesn’t work for me and there are time when I end up putting it down before the end has arrived. The thing is that I don’t usually blog about those. Why?

If it’s a book I personally bought and disliked or didn’t finish, I tend to just not write a review. I will never lie and tell people I loved it if I’m asked, but I don’t go out of my way to put it down either.

On the other hand, if it’s a book I have gotten for review and it just sit well with me, two things can happen. On one side I can do what I’d do with a bought book or I’ll contact the author that requested it, tell them my rating won’t be so great and give them a choice regarding me publishing the review or not. Why do I do that? Simply because, again, i don’t want to get out of my way and be negative about someone’s work, specially if they are independent or from a small pub. Again, I will never lie about my opinion if someone asks me, but I won’t advertise it as well.

How about when I can’t seem to finish a book. Well, I tend to just put it aside and let it be, but I have decided to start doing a group post about them and marking them as DNF. I will not be reviewing them, since I haven’t finished them, but at least this way they will get some publicity and I do believe a lot of people might enjoy them.

So, here it goes…

In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day. Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different.

Imagine if being late meant a child disappeared forever. That is the fear that drives Mike Brody: the man you want, when the one you love is missing. Mike is more than just a master tracker. An ex-Special Forces operative, Smoke jumper, and now extreme adventure tour guide, he also possesses a unique ability to tap into the memory and emotional state of those he pursues.

In The Last Track, a police detective recruits Mike to help find an asthmatic boy lost in the dense woods surrounding a dude ranch in Montana. An unwitting murder witness, the boy burrows ever deeper into the rugged terrain, fearful of being found. As Mike and a local officer search for the boy, the killer follows them. While the investigation expands, his ex-wife, a well-connected journalist, uses her contacts to unravel the truth behind the murder. Her discoveries threaten to snare them all in a treacherous conspiracy . . .

Worlds within worlds await through the Maya Bloodgate...Dr. Jaid Merritt doesn’t do digs. The last time she ventured into the jungle, someone died. Now she’s content to decipher Maya glyphs from pictures sent to her by her famous archaeologist father. But when he goes missing while trying to perform a ritual based on her translations of an ancient codex, Jaid must put aside her fears and travel to Guatemala to find him.

After misusing the Bloodgates to bring his twin brother back from the afterlife, the Maya priest known as Ruin was cursed by the gods to stand as the guardian for all time. He was unable to stop Dr. Charles Merritt from opening the gates, and now demons roam this world. The last thing he wants to do is hurt the beautiful woman who is somehow infused with his magic, but if she uses the codex to retrieve her father, Ruin must do his duty. And this time, he won’t fail. Even if it kills him. Again.

When the doors open at the Star Light Casino in Brody, Minnesota, a serial killer turns it into his hunting ground. The challenge of two unsolved murders and a chance at a fresh start prompts maverick cop Nick Dempsey to leave L. A. and his actress girlfriend Kathy Tyler behind. This lone wolf must learn to be a team player when he takes the job of Sheriff.After a one night stand with her ex-husband Kathy follows Nick to Minnesota. Tempers flare when Kathy arrives in Brody to find Nick has taken a new lover, Angie Reynolds, a beauty nearly half his age. Fearing for Kathy’s safety Nick moves her into his house. Kathy finds herself a new playmate in Nick’s Deputy Ben. Nick and Kathy struggle with their strained relationship as they both date other people.

As Brody celebrates Heritage Days Nick has his hands full with a town full of tourists, a serial killer and two angry girlfriends. Victim number three is found alive but lapses into a coma and is unable identify her attacker. Deputy Russ Thompson finds a clue at the crime scene. Russ struggles with his decision to remain silent about what he found.A violent storm descends on Brody putting everyone’s nerves on edge. When both women turn up missing Nick must use all his skills to figure out who the killer is before one of his women becomes the next victim.

Suzy Bean is a woman who lives in the moment and loves her overabundant curves. The man she secretly loves, JC Mosino, is the only one who can make her untamed sexual fantasies a reality. After having way too much fun during a party, JC drives her home where their passions ignite. Suzy believes this is night she and JC will go from being friends to lovers. Unfortunately things go awry and Suzy ends up throwing JC out.

Now Suzy's whole world has been turned upside down. She's given up smoking and is sexually frustrated when she meets a handsome, flirty stranger, who rubs her the wrong way. This chance meeting is one she'll never forget, for Mr. Hunk is her new boss, Xavier Marks.JC's craving for Suzy is consuming his thoughts, and he wants nothing more than to work things out and become her lover. He has a plan, but has to move fast as Xavier works to seduce Suzy. JC will do whatever he can to claim his brassy, buxom beauty for his own.

Kaleem Malkendy is different – and, on Terrestra, different is no way to be.Everything about Kaleem marks him out from the rest: the blond hair and dark skin, the humble cave where he lives and the fact that he doesn’t know his father. He’s used to unwelcome attention, but even so, he’d feel better if some strange old man didn’t keep following him around.Then the man introduces himself and begins to explain the Babel Prophecy – and everything in Kaleem’s life changes forever.

Think vampires are romantic, sexy, and powerful? Think again. Vampires are dead. And unless they want to end up staked, they have to give up fanging people, admit their addiction, join a support group, and reform themselves.Nina Harrison, fanged at fifteen and still living with her mother, hates the Reformed Vampire Support Group meetings every Tuesday night. Even if she does appreciate Dave, who was in a punk band when he was alive, nothing exciting ever happens.

That is, until one of group members is mysteriously destroyed by a silver bullet. With Nina (determined to prove that vamps aren't useless or weak) and Dave (secretly in love with Nina) at the helm, the misfit vampires soon band together to track down the hunter, save a werewolf, and keep the world safe from the likes of themselves.The perfect anecdote to slick vampire novels, this murder-mystery comedy of errors will thrill fans of Evil Genius.

17 Responses so far.

I feel the same way, and will only put positive reviews on my blog. However, unless I can't say anything to redeem a book at all, I usually post a short informal review on Goodreads because I think my friends there would like to know.

Once, I let an author of a book I'd decided not to publish a review of know what I thought was wrong with the book and she got terribly offended and abusave. In future I'll ask them if they want to know the details before I tell them.

I agree with you Larissa. I will only review books that I have enjoyed or I feel others will enjoy.

I have denied or not finished books that authors have requested me to review when I did not feel I could provide a positive review. I always try to give constructive criticism to the author via email when I pass on the review. Sometimes they email me back and thank me while others I don't hear back from at all.

My TBR pile is just too big to force myself to read books I don't enjoy. Then it feels too much like work. ;)

I never review DNF..ok once or twice. But mostly I give up at a really early stage, would feel silly to write about it cos who knows perhaps I would like it later. But there are books I really have tried with so those I write something about.

And most of the time I just finish, I haven't read a truly crappy review book yet.

I don't have a blog, but I do post mini reviews on goodreads/visual bookshelf, just to throw my 10 cents in for whoever wants to see. Some of the reviews have been negative, but I think on a forum like that (as opposed to a blog) it just really weighs in to the starts balance. I'm never malicious, but there have been a few occasions (in the genre I read) that I was irritated so much by a book that I wanted to express it. I've seen glowing reviews of books that I thought were so awful I was literally mad at myself for reading; everyone's entitled to their opinion. I think you have a good idea here. And I think this post was a fantastic idea- this way, someone who may be new to your blog wouldn't just see all positive reviews and think it was one of THOSE blogs.

I really admire your approach to negative reviews. Thank you for sharing, this gives me a better idea for what I should do if ever I run into a book that I dislike. (So far I have been very fortunate and have not encountered a book i disliked lol so that solved one problem) By the way, I really like that you still posted about the DNF books, you should create a monthly meme about it (just a thought ;) ) I would definitely participate ! (even though this is very rare for me lol)

I am yet to have read a book I didn't finish. But I have written reviews for books that I haven't enjoyed even though it pained me, specifically since it was an author that I thoroughly enjoy. But so far, I have made some great choices, but if it wasn't my taste, I will let people know :)

I don't really know where I fall in this whole dealio. I rate my books on a scale of 1-10 and I have never rated anything less than a five. Even if I don't really like a book, I will rate it around five or six... I personally think that those are still good ratings, but *shrugs shoulders*. As for DNFs? I rarely ever have those, mainly because I will push through a book and finish it, no matter how much I may hate doing so.

I think that posting all of your DNFs together is actually really great Larissa! And despite you not being about to finish it, I think that The Iron Thorn is something I will have to check out!

Honestly, I don't see any problem with negative reviews. As long as it is a constructive criticism and not someone using it as an excuse for a personal attack (which does not belong anywhere) then it can be helpful for me to decide if I get the book or not. A negative review might actually encourage me to get the book depending on what the reviewer found to be bad in the book. As for DNFs, I only put up a review of those if I have agreed to review it. It is just my opinion. If it is a bought book, and a DNF, I don't review it.

I'm sad to see that the Iron Thorn was a dnf. I have been curious about that one. Still, I may find out for myself. :)

This is one of those issues I struggle with. I don't want to put down someone else's hard work, but I also wonder how credible I am if my readers don't see me disliking something. Does that make any sense?

I like your approach - having the DNF list and just posting the positive reviews. Although, maybe you could expand it a little and say what went wrong, for lack of a better way to phrase it.

Your approach definitely gives me something to think about in regards to my own reviews.

Oh, and commenting on your list above. Sorry you didn't like The Last Track. I enjoyed it.

Great post! I agree with everything you said - I don't usually post reviews on books I didn't enjoy unless I recieved the book for review and the author/publisher still wishes for me to post the review (after I've given them review). I actually did a post on this same thing a few days ago: To Bad Review or Not To Bad Review? That is the Question.